Entertainment

Rejecting ‘Death’, Kampoeng Radjoet Binong Jati Performs an Economic Leap with Digitalization

Knitwear that used to be identical with sick people, the elderly, or worn in the cold season now has become a trend of daily outfit. Looking at the opportunity, knitters in Kampoeng Radjoet Binong Jati Bandung then makes their products more various. Slowly but surely, they start growing. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, Kampoeng Radjoet once faltered.

Din Tuesday, 05 April 2022 19:05
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Siaran Pers Diskominfo Kota Bandung 5 April 2022

Knitwear that used to be identical with sick people, the elderly, or worn in the cold season now has become a trend of daily outfit.

 

Starting from headscarf, veils, mask connectors, sweaters, cardigans, skirts, to socks have become the products of the creative knit industry.

 

Looking at the opportunity, knitters in Kampoeng Radjoet Binong Jati Bandung then makes their products more various. Slowly but surely, they start growing. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, Kampoeng Radjoet once faltered.

 

The coordinator of Kampoeng Radjoet, Eka Rahmat Jaya, shared stories of knitters of Binong Jato who recover economically.

 

Met in his factory, Eka shared how knitters’ struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

As the third generation of knitter business, Eka said that since 1970s, the place was called Sentra Rajut.

 

However, the rebranding into Kampoeng Radjoet happened in 2014. They recruited 400 knitters who live there. At that time, one knitter only had 10-20 employees. So, currently, there are 4.000 recruited employees.

 

“The development of knitting in the pandemic was once falling. Especially, there was a transformation of digitalization since the pandemic, it was really felt. Many faced difficulties to adjust, particularly those who are seniors, as old as my father,” Eka said.

 

Long ago, knitters were street vendors or deposited (their products) through their connections in Pasar Baru and Tanah Abang. However, the only two options left are: keep moving and changing, adjusting with the era, or stay still with the old ways, yet resulting in bankruptcy.

 

“When the pandemic tide was rising, markets were close. So, we were forced to think, leading us to try to move digitally. It was hard, sure, but slowly, we can read the patterns, as long as using content and branding,” he said.

 

“From online sales, my business alone, during the pandemic, can reach Rp1 billion a month at the minimum. Kampoeng Radjoet can exceed it multiple times because we also upload it on marketplace(s),” Eka said.

 

In fact, Eka admitted that, compared to other businesses, Kampoeng Radjoet is actually flooded with orders during the pandemic. Particularly, now, knitted clothing have become daily fashion.

 

This Ramadan, Kampoeng Radjoet Binong Jati also saw increasing sales. Since moving digitally, in a year, the traffic can increase three folds.

 

The sales used to be 90% offline and 10% online. However, now, it is the opposite, online (sales) become the primary thing that makes machines in Kampoeng Radjoet kept being powered up.

 

“Particularly in Ramadan, it is certain. Particularly in casual and hijab clothing that increase in sales. My resellers, TKI (blue collar workers) and TKW (female workers) in Singapura and Malysia, frequently ask for more supply. We once exported 50.000 beanies to America,” he said.

 

Although they have seen the good times, Eka said that, recently, knitters were facing the increase of the price of raw materials: acrylic wool.

 

“Yes, it is because of the demand knitted clothing that increases. So, the raw materials’ prices also increase,” he said.

 

To stay in business without cutting the price, Eka emphasized the importance of branding and social media content. Knitters must also be persistent in searching for the current trends in social media.

 

However, Eka said that there was still a gap in knowledge and skills to move to the digital world. Therefore, he collaborated with several universities in Bandung City to invite college students to take an intern through a program called ‘Sekolah Rajut’.

 

Some universities collaborating with him are: Unpar, Unpad, Unpas, Telkom University, Unibi, Politeknik Ganesha, and other universities with textile faculties such as ITB dan STT Tekstil.

 

“Young people’s ideas are amazing. They are also literate in technology, different with our generation. I want them to be happy and help develop Binong Jati knitting,” he said.

 

“I collaborate with universities to learn together about digital marketing. They create the content and branding, we provide the products,” Eka emphasized.

 

Not only with academicians, Eka also invited communities to gather more information into Kampoeng Radjoet in digital areas. It is because, to him, people’s habits now have moved to digital areas as well. All information can be gathered from Google Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

 

Not only in marketing strategies leading to digitalization, Eka argued that the production must also be developed using computerized technology. Currently, the knitters still use manual machineries.

 

“One day can produce a dozen using manual machines. If we use computerized ones, it can be trice or more. Certainly, the human resources must be upgraded, too. They must know how to operate those machines,” he said amidst the noises of knitting machines clearly heard from the production room.

 

Eka hoped that, through the digitalization of all production activities in Kampoeng Radjoet, in the future, it can further make Binong Jati village more crowded. So, it also makes more tourists visiting and purchasing their products.

 

“If the knitting keeps going, this village will also be improved, that was once MSMEs are micro medium business will become micro business worth billions, let’s us hope so,” he hoped.

 

Here, all the products of the knitters are centralized in one store called Galeri Kampoeng Radjoet. This store is managed by Eka and his team, along with several college student interns. One of them is Dani, a sixth-term college student majoring Business Administration at Unpar.

 

For four months, they will help promote products of Kampoeng Radjoet through social media and marketplaces.
 

Dani said that after a month of optimizing the social media, the followers of the Instagram account of Kampoeng Radjoet increased by 1.000 people.

 

It also affected to their sales in marketplaces. In a day, they could even sell 1.000 clothing at a price of Rp40.000-Rp150.000

 

“The resellers always ask for more supply up to 2.000-5.000 items a month. Kang Eka also gave us a target, selling 10.000 items a month. Alhamdulillah, it is close to the target, we can sell 5.000-7.000 items per month,” Dani said.

 

After two months being an intern in Kampoeng Radjoet, Dani felt more interested in helping the knitters to become more knowledgeable in technology and develop Binong Jati to become a touristic village.

 

“It actually has become a touristic village. However, we must still keep inviting the public to open themselves and develop their thinking. So, this village can become a more proper touristic village,” Dani said. (din)*


The Head of the Communication and Informatics Agency of Bandung City

 

Yayan A. Brilyana